Review of Apollo's Raven

[Nessa Vee]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Apollo's Raven" by Linnea Tanner.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Apollo’s Raven by Linnea Tanner is a big fantasy book and the first one in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. It follows Catrin, a Celtic warrior princess, as she faces political plots, magic, and a prophecy linked to a terrible curse. It’s a strong beginning to Tanner’s new series.

The story starts with the Romans trying to form an alliance and arranging a meeting between two Celtic tribes to decide which king will act as their representative. King Amren agrees to attend if the Roman senator leaves his son, Marcellus, as a hostage at Amren’s home, where Catrin will look after him until a decision is made. During this time, Catrin and Marcellus fall in love while secretly trying to learn each other’s military plans set by their fathers. Marcellus’s father, Lucius, is ruthless and deceitful. Marrock is alive and scheming, Agrona, the king’s adviser and Druidess, cannot be trusted, and Catrin’s visions of the past and future push her to save her father and Marcellus from a dark fate.

I really enjoyed how the author grabbed the reader’s attention with a truly exciting story that made it hard to put the book down. The suspense kept me wanting to know what would happen next—it’s definitely a page-turner. The author also did a great job with the language and detailed descriptions of the time period. It felt so immersive that you could almost smell the honeysuckle, see the rough landscape, and feel the intense times as the story progressed. Very well done!

I have one complaint about the book, and it’s about the ending. I wished the author had wrapped things up more clearly. The ending felt too open and didn’t provide closure for the first book in the series. This made it confusing for readers.

Overall, I would rate this story 5 out of 5 stars. The book had no grammatical errors and was written in a clear, academic style. It draws on historical elements like the Celtic people and the Roman Empire, and I appreciated how the author researched these cultures to bring the time period to life.

I would recommend this book for teenagers or young adults. It contains graphic scenes of fighting and death, as well as explicit details about sexual activities. It’s a good choice for those who like historical fiction, as it includes elements of Celtic and Roman cultures.

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Apollo's Raven
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